The minutes passed in silence. We did not speak; at intervals of five minutes, Freddie made his noiseless trip to the door and back. My heart seemed nearly smothering me; cold beads were dank on my forehead, neck and chest. Waiting for the Unknown to make itself seen? Heard? Felt? I wondered which; with every sense alert and straining, I sat waiting. Fear? It was that, of course. I am not ashamed of it; there is no man brave enough to front the Unknown with heartbeat undisturbed. Nothing--as yet. Or perhaps my panting, labored breath was from the new-world air which now was coming in? The ringing in my head; the flashes of red in the dimness before my straining eyes--were they caused only by the tenseness of fear? Freddie sat down beside me. I heard his whispered words, "Peter! It's almost open. One more turn will do it--Dan, you all right?--Peter, I'm frightened--terribly frightened!" And Dan's gruff answer, "Yes. All right." Our side windows were black rectangles. What was out there? For a time, thought of father had left me. He was out there; was he looking in upon us? I could see nothing; but now the thought of father steadied me. And Zetta. Was she here--near me at last? Freddie snapped out our light with a click, thundering, echoing in the stillness. The darkness leaped upon us. Darkness and silence. But I could seem to hear my beating heart. Or Dan's. And our breathing. And then I realized that this was no silence! Around me came thronging a million tiny noises. Jostling things of sound in the darkness. Things all alive with sound! I could hear them. Murmuring, whispering like wraiths of jabbering things alive with sound. Or was it sound I was hearing? So vague, unreal, it might have been some other sense. But it was gathering strength; jostling sounds were whirling about my ears, beating at me, gathering strength and mingling into a hum-- All in the darkness. But there was no darkness! Shapes of color--moving shapes of sound and color were here, crowding at my elbows. Formless blobs, impalpable as colored shadows; formless, yet I could imagine them into any form I chose. Jabbering, impalpable things pushing at each other as though for a better view of me! Impalpable? Suddenly one seemed to brush me; I could have sworn I felt it, light as a fairy's wing, touching my hand. It may have touched Dan also. I heard his arm lunge; he cursed; an ash tray on the table crashed to the floor. I jumped to my feet. Panic seemed surging around us, out of which came Freddie's voice: "Easy! Sit down, you two! I'll get the door open wide." His padding footsteps were reassuring--something solid and real for my confused senses to grip. I could see the moving blob of him, tinged red with a faint aura that now suffused everything. The solid hum of him, unbarring the door, was steadying; the sound of the door grating on its heavy hinges as it swung wide--